


Fireworks are Raining

by apartment



Category: Free!
Genre: Friendship, M/M, can be taken platonically or romantically, more melancholic than anything else, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-10
Updated: 2013-10-10
Packaged: 2017-12-29 00:11:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/998552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apartment/pseuds/apartment
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haru and Rin spend time together on a rainy Saturday afternoon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fireworks are Raining

**Author's Note:**

> Requested by Lain: kiss buddies HaruRin with a bit of Rin crying

It's really a dreadfully dreary day, and somehow Rin feels his own mood begin to mimic the weather outside the window panes. He can feel Haru's right shoulder brushing with his left one every time either of them makes any move, but even that's not enough to shove the melancholy from his shoulders. With the birds waiting for the sun and the wind as silent as ever, the only sounds Rin can hear are the sounds of tires from the screen with the occasional cheer from a character and his own strangely blank thoughts.

  
They're playing Mario Kart - N64 version, upon Haru's insistence, despite Rin owning all three - and while it's a race, Rin doesn't have the competitive spark he usually would. Haru doesn't seem to really care either, so neither of them mentions the lack of fighting spirit and loud jeers and cheers. Haru wins the grand prix by three points, and Rin slumps into the couch with a sigh and a grin. "I'll never get the hang of this game," he mock complains, and Haru turns to look at him with a roll of his eyes and Rin feels some of the heaviness lift.

  
"You're the one who owns the games," he reminds Rin, and Rin scowls halfheartedly before choosing the next race, forgoing an entire grand prix this time. He's Wario and Haru's Yoshi and they're playing Royal Raceway. Rin falls into the water on the same turn every lap, and by the time he's finished the race after Haru (as always), Haru's been watching him play with a small, almost cocky, smile for some time. Rin sneers at Haru, trying hard to keep his lips from curling into a smile.

  
"What are you laughing about?" he growls. He's trying to remain angry, he really is, but then Haru chuckles softly and turns away from Rin, and the crinkle of Haru's eyes when he laughs gets Rin to smile, too. They choose another race, Banshee's Boardwalk this time, but Rin doesn't know why they even bothered trying because neither of them make it past the first lap without falling off the course at least three times. By the time Rin reaches halfway through the second lap, Haru's almost going to start his third, so he gives up and leans into Haru instead.

  
Somehow Rin forgets the clouds outside and the fact that it'll probably be raining when Haru plans to go home and he'll have to lend his umbrella to him (again) and wait a few weeks before Haru finally returns it. Haru doesn't bother finishing the race before he puts down his controller and sags into Rin.

  
They stay like that for a while - how long, Rin doesn't know - and listen to the quiet, nearly inaudible sounds of the pitter-pattering drizzle that's just begun. It's quiet against the window panes, almost like it doesn't want to ruin their peaceful solace. Haru's head finds a place in the crook of Rin's neck, and Rin tilts his head to rest against Haru's.

  
"You know," Rin begins, when he feels they've listened to each other's silence for long enough. Haru makes a soft hum of acknowledgement and shifts slightly to view Rin's face from the corner of his eyes. "You're a really cool guy," and Haru almost laughs at Rin's way with words. He turns fully, shifting over to his right to situation himself almost in front of Rin rather than at each other's side.

  
Haru's eyes have softened in the years they've spent time together, and Rin can only be grateful that the him of two years ago decided to man up and express himself. "Thanks," Haru replies with a truly happy smile. He looks so radiant and cherishable that Rin feels the inexplicable desire to just show Haru how much he loves him, so he does just that because somehow he's gotten better at this friendship-with-Haru thing over the years. Rin leans in and pecks Haru's cheek, close to his lips, and Haru laughs in this quiet, giggling kind of way that makes Rin fly.

  
The rain is picking up a bit against the window panes and the Mario Kart pause screen music is still irritatingly repeating, but they ignore everything but each other and their friendship and think about how much has changed from back then. Rin slings an arm around Haru's shoulder and pulls him even closer, sending a cheeky grin in Haru's direction. Haru shoots him half-annoyed glances, but Rin dismisses them with his raspy chuckles that make every pain disappear.

  
"You've become a really great friend, Rin," Haru mentions, and Rin's grin spreads wider. He can't resist and leans down to touch Haru's lips with his own, and when they separate, Haru's eyes are closed and joyful and full of smiles and Rin wonders how much of the universe's forgiveness he needed back then to be friends with someone like Haru now.

  
"You're a terrible kisser, y'know that?" Rin taunts, and Haru elbows him in the stomach. A minute later, after Rin has frazzled Haru's hair in retaliation, he pretends to groan in agony and moans a bit about how much that _actually_ hurt, Haru, you're so mean!

  
They spend the next fifteen minutes basking in each other's presence. Rin turns sideways and stretches out on the length of the couch, leaning his head back to rest on Haru's shoulder. He closes his eyes, listens to the sound of the rain against the window, and realizes that Haru's finally muted the sound of his Nintendo. Haru smells faintly of chlorine and mostly of shampoo - some cheap, ocean breezy scent that doesn't really smell like anything - but Rin thinks it's fitting: calm and serene and so simple that it makes him wonder if Haru chooses that brand on purpose.

  
Soon, Rin's mother calls for them to come upstairs in a few minutes to have a snack and Rin and Haru are forced to rouse themselves from the comfortable silence of their individual daydreams and musings. "Thank you," Rin smiles into the cloudy darkness of the room, sitting up as Haru stand and stretches. Haru pauses and turns to look in Rin's direction with a tilt of his head. "For being my friend and all," Rin finishes, and he hesitates for a brief second before turning and looking up at Haru.

  
Haru's confusion lasts for only a moment, but then he leans down with his eyes closed and crinkled as he laughs so happily and he kisses Rin to tell him _I love you_ and there's so much emotion bubbling up within Rin that he feels like his insides are fireworks bursting against the night sky.

  
Then Rin is crying with a sharp-toothed grin, and his smile is wobbly but joyful. Haru bends and wraps his arms around Rin's shaking frame, burying his face into the crook of Rin's neck, where he can feel the tears splash down from Rin's cheeks onto his own. "Thank you. Thank you," Rin weeps into Haru's arms over and over again and soon Haru's crying and they're holding each other close. _Thank you for saving me_ , Rin wants to convey. _Thank you for changing me_. _Thank you for loving me_. His fingers dig into the material of Haru's shirt and he feels Haru's arms tighten around his shoulders. _Thank you_.

  
For once, everything feels _right_ , and Rin breathes like he's not drowning anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> can be taken platonically or romantically! 
> 
> hope you can feel the emotion by the end ahhh


End file.
